James Sieckza and his phony apology

I am no detective or an authority in reading body language but I think I am a fairly good judge of character, or in this case, of telling a fake when I see one.

I have the sinking feeling that James Sieckza, the jerk who uploaded the 20 Reasons Why I Dislike the Philippines video, was laughing his heart out right after uploading the video of his apology to the Filipino people, specifically to the people of Cebu who shared their beautiful city with him over the past few years.

Everything in his blank facial expressions and staid gestures shouts phony.

It is eerily similar to a phony apology issued by one Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who made a pained effort to look downright downcast in a vain attempt to look sincere after she was caught pants down chatting with Hello Garci, on her way to cheating her way to an election victory.

Sincerity cannot be faked Mr Jerk.  Just ask GMA.

What was real though was his disdain for the Philippines which he portrayed in his video rant as a dirty, filthy and stinking country with bad food, and depressing people.  While I am not about to argue how he perceives our country as there really is some basis to his claims (but not absolute), I believe that he knew -- from the moment he conceived his concept to the time he listed his rants, and shot and edited his video -- that he was going to hurt many people and incur the ire of a nation.  Not because he was telling a lie, but he was so brazen enough to broadcast what he thought was true about a city and a nation that has hosted his stay, despite its warts, filth and all.

Some, many Filipinos included, would say that he was simply telling the truth.  Perhaps he was.  If that's how he truly felt about our country.  But by God, I hope that those who so easily agree with him would at least feel even a tinge of rage in their guts for a guy, a visitor at that, who openly wanted to embarrass the nation to anyone who cares to watch his video.

If someone you don't know grabs a megaphone and announces in the middle of a crowd that the person that you are with, say your parent, is obese, has bad teeth and equally bad fashion sense, would you say, "Yeah, you're right.  Thanks for pointing it out"?

I won't.

And I don't know what I'm going to do with that person if that happens.  Thanking him is farthest from my options. Respect begets respect.


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